This is living now
by vividfantasy7
Summary: Just because he happened to be kinda on the wrong side of law didn't mean he couldn't try to woo her off her feet - even if it meant she might arrest him (Prohibition era AU)


This is living now

Prohibitions era AU - _Talisto_

Rating: T

Where Gramorr(?) runs a bar and a smuggling ring, the twins and Lev work for him and the princesses are part of the law enforcement, their task force is dubbed 'Princess squad' (hence the nickname) with 'Queen' Izira as the leader

The bar is filled with the patrons of the upper-middle class of Sunny Bay, smoke twirling lazily from cigarette holding hands and the people chatting and mingling amiably before the start of the usual show. The warm air contrasts with the dark design of the hall as it arches above the people in search of company – be it a person or the bottom of a strictly non-alcoholic bottle.

Mephisto casts a bored glance across the room as he observes their customers absentmindedly trying to pick out the possible clientele of the not-so-legal part of their business as he wipes the glass in his hands. He hears Lev beside him flirting mindlessly, but not really up to his usual standards, with whatever bird caught his fancy this evening and he inwardly rolls his eyes as he puts down the glass and picks another.

His gaze wanders again and he observes and thinks back to the white haired bartender's crush on the pretty blonde agent – _the engaged pretty blonde agent_ – and how it is kind of ridiculous seeing as she keeps rebuffing any and all of his tries at getting her affections. Or at least a date. Yet he doesn't seem to be able to move on from her, probably enjoying the challenge of her uninterest too much for his own good. Mephisto isn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing.

He sees Praxina enter from the backstage draped in scarlet from his peripheral vision and he lifts his gaze to his sister as she makes her way to the microphone in the center and the band starts a pleasant melody in the background. On cue she opens her lips, a clear sound escaping as she sings a familiar song and the young bartender closes his eyes as he enjoys his sister's melodic voice. Prax might be a genius at managing their business so they wouldn't get caught by the police, but she still needed a cover for during the day and opted to be the singer of the club rather than to be in a relationship with some boring guy just to cover her back. Personally, he was rather happy with her choice, less people he needed to threaten, beat up or do other unmentionable things to.

He was brought out of his musings by someone calling his name and he felt a grin stretch across his face as he turned his attention to the brunette standing before the bar, golden eyes shining as she absentmindedly tapped her fingers on the cool surface.

"Hello love," he greets and his grin turns into a smirk as she rolls her eyes but there's a smile pulling at the corner of her lips and he feels warmth pulse in his chest at the sight. For a moment he thinks he might be just as gone as Lev but ushers the thought away. No, he's better at masking his feelings for his favorite agent and he fancies his infatuation with the dark skinned woman is more genuine than his co-worker's – though if you ask Praxina she'd say he's ridiculously obvious. And disgusting.

He quickly pushes these thoughts to the back of his mind as he inquiries about her reason for visiting their establishment this fine evening that earns him a smirk in return as she asks for her usual.

"I have a date," she states simply in the end as she turns to observe the people mingling about seemingly finding whoever she was looking for as she turns back and places the empty glass before him murmuring a thanks as she makes to leave.

"Talia," Mephisto starts, desperately trying to push down that ugly feeling clutching at him at her words as he takes in her curious expression when she whirls back towards him, "have a nice evening."

For a moment an emotion he can't place flutters across her golden orbs but it is gone before he has time to examine it and she graces him with a radiant smile as she sends a small wave his way before she turns on her heels to head for the table in the far end of the hall. He feels his heart clench in pain when he spies her partner – tall, dark and seemingly from a good background – but stops himself averting his eyes from the couple and returns to his duties and serves the patrons of the place with a well-practiced, Hollywood-worthy smile masking his face.

Every once and again he catches himself trying to find her form in the crowd - the table had been left empty some time ago-, searching for chocolate skin clad in one of the turquoise dresses she seems to favor in civil. He doesn't see her either time and it takes some effort to pull his attention back to the customer's order or the glass he is currently wiping.

It is hours before his break comes and he finally manages to sneak out to the alley behind the club and have a smoke in blessed solitude as he contemplates the agent currently on his mind. With all seriousness he isn't an idiot, no matter what his sister says, and is acutely aware of just how deep his hole could be if Talia, or either of her friends, catches on to their smuggling circle (he does tend to beat up people every now and again) as they'd probably be forced to hand over evidence to the police sooner or later. Well. The girls being wets themselves kinda helps their case and they tend to look the other way as long as no serious shit goes down. Praxina makes sure they don't get caught in any maffia business.

Okay, the police part is not exactly true. They are pretty sure the law enforcement got a whiff of their business and monitors them, like most of the bigger bars and clubs in the city, but they don't exactly have much on or against them yet – as he said, his sister is a genius – so it's not like there is a task force following their every step.

But the fact remains that his pretty princess is an agent and part of the supposedly secret Organized Crime Unit of some agency or the other (aka the _Princess Squad_ , as he learned) that focuses on the activities of the mafia families in Sunny Bay along with her friends. That doesn't exactly leave him much chance at having any kind of relationship with her, even if they're only bootleggers, though they're kinda their informants of sorts. Also, he doesn't _actually_ know her opinion of him on that front - another hurdle - but she answers his flirting enough with her own sassy lines that it gives him hope.

He finishes his smoke quietly and turns to head back when there's a noise from further back and he picks up a bat that had been hidden ages ago near the back entrance for similar situations and heads on to investigate. He reaches the corner and peaks over the edge trying to get a glimpse at whatever drew his attention only to freeze at the scene. Talia is pushed against the wall as her _date_ towers over her, a hand clamped over her mouth to silence her cries, a savage glint in his eyes as he takes in the petite woman.

Mephisto's brain quickly calculates possibilities before some plan forms in his mind in the span of a few seconds as he turns the corner with a feral cry to get the man's attention and starts toward the couple brandishing his bat in a threatening way, hoping to frighten the man into leaving – not that he's against beating him unconscious but he's not sure Talia would appreciate the paperwork it would bring her. He hardly takes two steps when he is acutely reminded why he had fallen so much for the brunette agent as she, with a graceful and well-practiced motion, twirls out of the grasp of her assaulter than jabs him in the back and into the wall before tripping him over. She quickly brandishes her weapon that had previously been hidden on her person and the man scampers away in fear cursing the female as she glares at his retreating back and turns to the violet haired bartender.

Mephisto stills as he takes in her appearance - hair astray, chest having, face flushed and eyes glinting with determination - and remembers a winter evening not a half and a year ago and some half-baked robbery attempt. He remembers looking on dumbfounded and awestruck as a guy wearing a mask held a gun at him aiming right between his eyes and shouting at him to hand over all the cash only to be roughly shoved into the ground by one of the young females who had been chatting at the bar when the whole shit-storm started. He was vaguely aware of her companion disarming the other robber who was aiming at Lev, but his attention was mostly trained on the dark skinned beauty who just saved his life in a spectacularly flawless series of motions – his mind was still trying to process just when exactly did she disarm the guy before elbowing him in the throat and kneeing him in the stomach only to bring her clenched together fists down on the back of his neck rendering him unconscious.

"You okay?" he finally came out of his stupor when she tried to get his attention and inquire about him. He had to fight a stupid grin trying to break his expression (couldn't exactly tell he had been in that kind of situations quite many times beforehand) as he took in the scene before him. Her hair and clothes were tousled from the fight but it only added to her allure, expression set in a determined frown and eyes shining as she checked him for any visible injuries or trauma. Something warm flipped in his stomach as he let his eyes wander over her once she turned to her blonde friend to check on her and he felt his heart beat rise that had little to do with their little adventure.

The police came, the attackers were taken and Gramorr pushed charges – they were supposed to be an upstanding club after all - and thankfully they didn't make the news so business went on without a major glitch. Also, the ladies who saved the day returned. Gramorr had their bill on the house as gratitude which the six women did not reject. It turned out they were recently moved to the nearby telephone company and planned to originally get to know each other before the robbery started.

Well, as it turned out, they were actually part of some _experimental_ all-female government special force, though he's only learned it through some careful observation, mind you. (Okay, so it was all Praxina.)

They became regulars of the place and Mephisto couldn't have been happier for this turn of events.

"Mephisto?" he is pulled back to the present by her voice, full with confusion and mirth with just a dash of worry, as Talia observes his stance, bat still half way beside his body in a threatening manner.

"You have a terrible taste in dates, princess," is the first thing that leaves his lips and she glares in answer as he lowers his weapon and starts for her. She puts away her own gun and quickly checks the opening of the small street again to make sure the guy in question is gone.

"I've lost a bet," she explains dully as her eyes avert back to him blinking in surprise when he suddenly stands before her only a foot away and in her comfort zone. Her eyes shift to his and there is surprise in them for a second before she cloaks her emotions, carefully taking a few steps back. For a moment he's afraid what she might have seen in his eyes - there was plenty he could think of ranging from utter amazement to the craving hunger he forcefully has to push down so he wouldn't act on it. But even in the dark of the streetlamp-lit street he can see her cheeks turn once again scarlet and knows it has nothing to do with the physical exercise taking down a creep needs and his bravery rears its head as he once again takes a step closer, bat still lazily slinging in his hand, and smirks at her.

"You could've always just ask me," his smirk widens as he gazes at her, eyes half-lidded, and she snorts and pushes against his chest with her fingers.

"In your dreams, pretty boy."

"Oh, you can count on that, princess."

She gives an amused smirk and mirth dances in her eyes as Mephisto sneaks his free arm around her waist and guides her back towards the bar.

"And stop calling me that."

"But then what should I call you, darling?" he pulls her just a tad bit closer into him. She lets him.

"My name?"

"And where's the fun in that?"

"You have no trouble with my sister's name."

"I don't have a death wish. The last time I called her _queen_ she nearly skinned me alive." Her laughter is melodic to his ears and his grin stretches further on his face.

"But it's okay to call me stupid pet names?"

"It's not stupid," he pouts at her.

Sadly they never make it to the corner of the alley that leads back to the establishment as Talia's date reappears with a few buddies of his, now brandishing a revolver and aiming at the agent. Mephisto's hand instinctively tightens on the folds of her dress as his eyebrows draw together and he straightens to his full height. He can feel the brunette react the same way but knows with her frame it gives no effect.

"Hello sweetheart," the man greets with a mocking sneer his weapon glinting in the low light, "care to drop the gun?" He mentions for her to take out the weapon and place it on the ground as the three goon he took with himself come closer. She reaches into the pocket hidden in the folds of her dress, where Mephisto definitely knows her gun is _not_ located, to pull whatever she is aiming for. His eyes follow the movement and his body probably too as the guy snarls at him.

"Tell your boyfriend to stop moving unless he fancies bullet holes in his clothes."

"He's not my boyfriend, Jim." Talia snarls in answer, halting her movements to look up at Ivan but the young bartender can see the slight fear in her eyes as her gaze darts to him for the shortest time. She's worried for _him_ and not just the situation they're in and despite everything that is happening he feels warmth crawl through him. A pleasant shiver makes it's way over his spine and his eyes bore into her before he tears his gaze from her to address the man brandishing the revolver with a cocky smirk, making sure _Jim_ sees the way Mephisto lets his eyes trail over Talia's form. Something that he knows will rile the other male up.

"We'll talk about that later, love,"he purrs but his attention is trained on the gun as much as the henchmen hovering closer and closer to them.

Exasperation is practically rolling of the brunette beside him and his smirk widens. The man snarls and orders her to get the gun out already and she finally finds what she wants and quickly throws it to the ground right where their attackers stand, shouting at the violet haired male to close his eyes. Not a second passes and bright lights envelope the back street and she uses the chance to disarm Jim who is only a few steps away before jumping back and throwing another fistful of small balls at the ground. These release a thick cloud of mist that makes the men cough.

Mephisto's smirk widens as he follows her this time and takes down a henchman before he gets to Jim brandishing his bat. Sadly Talia stops him before he could do serious damage to that pretty face of his, but he consoles himself with calling out his probable reason for meeting with the agent.

"Brave enough to sell out your boss, but not to face a girl alone? Aren't you a tiny bit pathetic, man?" He cocks his eyebrow with a condescending smirk as he waits for the guy's companions to process this new information, before they carefully back out of the alley with suspicion written on their faces and heavy hands encasing Jim. He feels no guilt concerning the douchebag's future.

"Was that really necessary? We already had them down, no need to sell him out."

Mephisto turns to his princess to share his opinion on the matter but his breath catches. Her clothes are in complete disarray from taking down the two thugs she went for earlier, hair seeming to come alive as it came undone from the careful braid it had been encased in, chest heaving and face in a frown and flushed with adrenaline. Yet it's her eyes, the emotions -anger, fear, desperation and relief aimed right at him- she doesn't manage to cloak in time before he can see it clearly in her gaze, that makes him lose any restraints he has left.

It hardly takes two steps before he's right in front of her and crushes his mouth onto hers stealing her breath away much like she'd been doing for the last year, backing her into the very same wall he saw her at not ten minutes ago, hands traveling over the curves of her body in a fevered frenzy, crushing her form to his in a desperate manner. His lips devour hers like there's no tomorrow and he feels the grin splitting his face when her hands travel up his neck and cup his face before they slide into his hair and fist into it, her lips opening under his as she answers his ministrations with the same fervor.

He bites at her lower lip before deepening the kiss, one of his hands abandoning her waist and traveling to the small of her back instead while the other moves to caress the chocolate tresses at the nape of her neck. His lips soon live her mouth to favor the soft skin of her jawline and neck and his smile widens at the way she tilts her head _just so_ so he could have easier access to the expanse of dark flesh under the burning kisses he leaves behind. He reaches the hem of her dress and pulls slightly to further reveal the alluring skin hidden under turquoise fabric leaving a bruising kiss that is sure to leave a mark. Hearing her moan his name and clench her fist in his hair has him right back at her lips, tongue dancing with hers as he further pushes her into him leaving no space between them.

"Mephisto, are you out here?"

They are interrupted when someone calls his name, _it's Lev_ his brain supplies, and he abruptly pulls away and swallows to answer the man before he decides to venture further in the alley, but his eyes never leave Talia's face.

"Yeah, what's it?" His voice is raspy and deep and he really hopes the white haired bartender won't pick up on it.

"When you're done with your brake bring some new crates out, would ya?" he hears the door close before he has the chance to shout an "Okay!" back at his co-worker.

The brunette's face is shadowed by her locks but he can still see her kiss bruised lips and the blush coloring her cheeks.

"Talia," he starts, his voice deep and hard as he tries to get her attention. Her eyes snap up to his, golden gaze darkened and pupils blown by the very same hunger he had been - unsuccessfully - battling all night, and he captures her battered lips with the very same frenzy he bestowed upon them but a minute ago, hands once again roaming and holding her close to him until it eases into gentle pecks and butterfly kisses, his hands resting on her waist and hers burrowing into the soft material of his dress shirt.

He feels his face glow as he holds her close and rests his forehead against hers, noses brushing lightly and he finally opens his eyes to take in her face. Her eyes are still closed and her face is warm with her blush, mouth slightly parted and a smile gracing her lips. His heart beats a staccato in his chest as his own smile widens and he drops a kiss on her glowing cheek.

Her eyes flutter open at the action, gaze shining with something he doesn't have time to guess at and disappears in a moment and it turns guarded as she withdraws the slightest bit. His stomach falls and his shoulders collapse as he searches her eyes for something, anything, as to why she withdraws so suddenly from him. It takes a few moments before he finally sees that vulnerability that she tries to hide so much and takes a sharp breath. He feels torn between smiling like an idiot because she _feels enough for him_ to be afraid of losing whatever they currently have at this very moment and frustrated that she would assume that he was simply _playing_ with her.

But then she remembers Auriana, Iris and the Queen plotting Kyle's demise and the brunette's previous boyfriends coming up in the conversation he was definitely not eavesdropping in on and let's his hand drop from her waist to slide up over her arm and encase her calloused fingers instead. He takes a small step back, leaving enough space between them to pull her hand up to his lips and graze her knuckles lightly.

He kisses it again then lets them drop down beside their bodies, fingers intervening as his free hand cups her face and he leans in. He kisses her slowly, fingers caressing the tender skin and squeezes her hand still captured in his before he draws back just enough that their lips are not touching anymore but his breath still ghosts over her mouth.

"Hey," Mephisto greets in a whisper as Talia searches his eyes for something that she seemingly finds as she answers with her own tentative "Hi."

"So," he gently brushes his nose against hers and feels a smile curl on her lips at the action, "what are your plans for tomorrow evening?"

"Hmm," Talia pecks his lips as she slips away from him heading toward the back entrance, twirling on her heels walking backwards as her eyes glint with mischief, a smirk splitting her face, "it depends. Why are you asking?"

He catches up easily and turns her the right way, hand resting at the small of her back and guiding her up the stairs and through the door.

"Just wandered if you cared to spend a dinner with a handsome fellow?"

"I thought Lev was into Iris."

She giggles at his pout and he pulls her closer in answer dropping a kiss on her temple. She leans into him for a second before she dances away but calling back a "Pick me up at seven, pretty boy!" before disappearing in the crowd.

He stares after her with a stupid grin splitting his face until a hand drops over his shoulder and he whips his head to the person on his right.

"About time," Praxina states dully as she watches the patrons of the bar, "thought you'd never ask her." When she spies his face turn scarlet a shit-eating grin crosses her face, lashes lowering in a kind of joy that he knows won't bode well for him.

"Oh, that's just sweet," she breathes, "I so win. And get the crate" before leaving for the backstage.

Mephisto stands flabbergasted for all of five seconds until his mind processes Praxina's words and his ears burn with embarrassment once he realizes that his sister and (probably) Auriana - if not all the princesses - had an ongoing bet on when he'll gather his courage and ask Talia out.

He clears his throat and leaves to gather the beverages as he pushes his revelation to the back of his mind.

After all, and the stupid grin is back, he has a date to plan.


End file.
